December 9, 2010 COLOUR IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION

Introduction
C

olour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red,

green, blue and others. Colour derives from the spectrum of light which is the distribution of

light energy versus wavelength interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light

receptors. Colour categories and physical specifications of colour are also related with objects,

materials, light sources, and others, based on their physical properties such as light absorption,

reflection, or emission spectra. By defining a colour space, colours can be identified numerically

by their coordinates. Because perception of colour stems from the varying sensitivity of different

types of cone cells in the retina to different parts of the spectrum, colours may be defined and

quantified by the degree to which they stimulate these cells. These physical or physiological

quantifications of colour, however, do not fully explain the psychophysical perception of colour

appearance. The science of colour is sometimes called chromatics. It includes the perception of

colour by the human eye and brain, the origin of colour in materials, colour theory in art, and the

physics of electromagnetic radiation in the visible range that is, what we commonly refer to

simply as light.

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Colour Wheel

The first colour wheel has been recognized to Sir Isaac Newton, who in 1706 arranged red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet into a natural chain on a rotating disk. As the disk
spins, the colours blur together so rapidly that the human eye sees white. From there the
association of colour has taken many forms, from tables and charts, to triangles and wheels in the
history.

From Sarah Lowengard’s The Creation of Color in Eighteenth-Century Europe tells us the
progression of colour organization systems and how the colour wheel came to be.

A successful colour ordering system requires an appropriate shape, the correct number of colours
to include, and the proper medium in which to present its information.

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The colour wheel is a

visual representation
of colour theory.
Colours are arranged
according to their
chromatic
relationship. Primary
colours are
positioned
equidistant from one
another and are
connected by a
bridge using
PRIMARY COLORS
secondary and
Red, yellow and blue :: In traditional color theory, these are the
tertiary colours.
3 pigment colors that cannot be mixed or formed by any
combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from
these 3 hues.

SECONDARY COLORS
Orange, green and violet :: Colors created by a mixture of two
primaries.

TERTIARY COLORS
Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-
violet and red-violet :: Colors created by a mixture of primary
and secondary hues.

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Analogous

An analogous colour harmony uses colors which are side-by-side on the color wheel. In most
cases, the colours that are being used are usually between 3 to 5 colours. There are three main
types of analogous colour harmonies:

1)  Warm analogous

2)  Cool analogous

3)  Analogous including both warm and cool colours

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1)  Warm Analagous

colour uses 3 to 5
colors from the
“warm” side of the
wheel:

Here are some examples of warm analogous colour from art history:

Cave Painting, Lascaux, France

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Bruegel, The Triumph of Death (1500's)

Sorolla, "Bacante" 1886

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2)  Cool Analagous

colour uses 3 to 5
colors from the
“cool” side of the
wheel:

green - blue - purple analogous

Here is a couple of cool analogous:

Picasso, 1903

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"Ocean Park no. 114" , Diebenkorn 1979

It was not easy to find paintings based on purple, blue, and green. It seems to be much less
commonly used than the next type.

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 December 9, 2010 COLOUR IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION

3)  Warm + Cool Analagous

A very common analogous colour harmony which crosses from warm to cool on the wheel is the
combination of yellow, green and blue.  This is frequently seen in nature, maybe which is why
we find it very pleasing:

Examples of warm to cool analogous:

"Rainy Night, Etapes", 1912, William E. Scott

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Van Gogh, "Wheatfield with Cypresses" 1889 (29 x 36)

Cezanne Water Jug (1880's)

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Cezanne, "Still Life With Apples"

Willem de Kooning

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Joan Miro, Constellation 3

Sergei Bongart

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Complementary

Colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel are considered to be complementary
colors.

The high contrast of complementary colours creates a vibrant look especially when used at full
saturation. This colour scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring.

Complementary colours are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when one wants
something to stand out.

However, complementary colours are really bad for text.

Red on Green Painting by Gary Hernandez

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December 9, 2010 COLOUR IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION

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Split Complementary

The split-complementary color

scheme is a variation of the
complementary color scheme. In
addition to the base color, it uses
the two colors adjacent to its
complement.

This color scheme has the same

strong visual contrast as the
complementary color scheme, but
has less tension.

The split-complimentary color

scheme is often a good choice for
beginners, because it is difficult to
mess up.

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 December 9, 2010 COLOUR IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION

Tetradic

The tetradic also known

as the double
complementary scheme
is the richest of all the
schemes because it uses
four colours arranged
into two complementary
colour pairs. This scheme
is hard to harmonize; if
all four colours are used
in equal amounts, the
scheme may look
unbalanced, so you
should choose a color to
be dominant or subdue

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Conclusion

In conclusion, all of us live in a world where at some point colour will be a part of, and effect

us in our everyday lives. Colour in everyday life is very diverse - from knowing that a fruit is

ripe to eat, to understanding how colour can affect our moods. Colours can vary according to

their wavelength and how our eyes perceive it. However, not all colours can match well together

when one is choosing the suitable colour for a design. Thus, it is important for a designer to

review the colour wheel every now and then.

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References

Color Theory for Designers, Part 1: The Meaning of Color

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/28/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-
of-color/

History Of The Color Wheel

http://www.yeeeeee.com/2008/06/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/

Color
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color

COLOR THEORY BASICS :: Color Wheel

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2006/11/24/color-theory-basics-color-wheel/

Analogous Color in Art History

http://davidslonim.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/analogous-color-in-art-history/

Color Harmonies
http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-harmonies.htm

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